Clutch.



0. R. MITCHELL,

CLUTCH APPLICATION FILED 00T.B, 1906.

Patented Dec. 1,1908

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

STATES OLIVER R. MITCHELL, OF

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CLUTCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER lt. Mrrcruzm,

' State of Massachusetts, have invented new i and useful Improvements in Clutches, of

i which the following is a' specification.

My invention is an improved clutch for use in connecting a source of power with the i'nechamsm to be driven, and is shown in the fdrawings as adapted for use in connecting a the driving wheels of the automobile are- 15 v cone clutch of the ordina adapted to other forms ('1 clutch.

motor of an automobile with the transmis.

sion shaft through which and its connections actuated. v v

' My improvement is shown as adapted to a "The. ordinary clutch, ,ofthe purely the,

tioual type, whether a-cone clutch or other kind, is subject to the difficulty that by wear or by accidental oiling of the frictional surfaces or from other causes the'clutch niay become inefi'ective to transmit tlieQfuil pdwer of the motor with the result'that the clutch member which is connected toth'e motor or motor shaft (in the drawingsthis clutch member is shown as the fly wheel of the motor), slips upon the other clutch member with more or less ra idity, wearing the friction surfaces and evelopin heat to the detriment of the friction sur aces, and -giv .ing service more or less inefi'ective.

The object of my invention is to overcome this 'difliculty by providing a positive locking engagement between the clutcl. members w ich will become effectivewheniequired, and which positive locking "device'niay' be pu n o op ration without undue shop y vpe1 -n 1itting the frictional-engagement of the two friction clutch members to fully take placeso that the two clutch memb rs rev'olve nearly or suite in unison, before'thelock g device is permitted to become operative.

Another object is to provide means where.-

by the positive lock is withdrawn before the Q [friction members can be disengaged.

I ,"Inthe drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation,

partly in section, on me difFigfi coking n the directi f arrows, jshow ing my improved clutch in disengaged poclutch pedal; Fig. is a View of theclutch Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 8, 1906. Serial No. 337,853.

typebut may be 7 .Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

l pedal slot; Fig. 6 is a detail showing a spline and slot connection between the universal joint member 12 and the tr nsmission shaft X. Fig. '7 is a cross section on line 6-6 of Fig. 6; p p In the drawings 1 is the inner member of i the cone clutch and 2 is the outer member of the cone clutch which consists of the fly wheel of the motor, having a suitable conical 'iterior surface within the flange of the fly wheel.

3 is the main driving shaft of the motor to which the fly wheel 2 is firmly secured, and 4 is a projectionof the motor shaft 3 passing through the fly wheel and projecting -,aS shown. Upon the extreme end of this projecting shaft 4 is an abutment 5 secured thereon in any suitable manner. mounted upon the shaft projection 4 is the inner cone member 1 with its hub projection 6, At diametrically opposite sides of the clutch member land within the same are integral blocks 8 having projecting lugs 9. Through this block 8 is formed passage 10 within which works a bolt 11. It is obvious that the number of thesebolts and the blocks within which they are mounted may bemore 'or less than two as may be des red, but I have'shown two of these bloclis and bolts as a suitable'embodiment of my invention.

3T0: the outer end of the hub projection 6 isfirmly'secured one member of a universal joint 12 and longitudinally movably mounted upon the hub projection 6 is a sleeve 13 shown in the drawings as provided with two I circumferential grooves 13, 13 within one I of'whic'h is arranged an actuating pin or pins controlledby the movement of a lever 1; to be operated by the driver of the car, and Within the other of which is a pin secured to one e; d of the bellcrank lever 15 pivotally mounted upon the lug 9, the other end of the bell crank lever being slotted and engaging a-pin which is fast to a projection a I V I l l .5 an the inncr'end of the joint member 12 which is secured upon the end of the hub extension 6, is mounted a spiral spring 17 surrounding the shaft extension 4:. It will be obvious that when the clutch member 1 and its attached parts are shifted away from the clutch member 2, this spiral spring 17 will be compressed and that when the force which accomplishes this shifting of the clutch member 1 is released, the spiral spring will throw clutch member 1 in the opposite direction 11 'u on the bolt 11. Between the abutment- Loosely and force it into engagement with clutch member 2 and continue to hold 'it'in engagement until the two members are again forced apart'by means of the lever 14. Upon one side of the inner end of the joint member 12 isa cup 12 and within this cup and mounted around the hubextension 6 is another spiral spring 16, one end of which abuts against the inner end of the joint member 12 fast to the hub extension 6 and the other end of which abuts against the slidin sleeve 13. The spring 17 is of relatively is]: greater power than the spring 16 as' is indicated in the drawings by the apparent difference in size of thetwo springs. The spring 17 having the function of holding the two members ofthe master clutch in engagement, is made as stiff and powerful as may be, having reard to convenient operation by hand or oot power, while the spring 16 whose function is merely to force forward the bolts 11 after the spring 17 has seated the inner clutch member 1, may be relatively weak and is in fact so much weaker'than the spring 17 that when the pressure on lever 14 is reduced to allow the elutchmember 1 to be gradually seated sprin I 16 will be kept compressed between the s" iding sleeve 13*and the joint member 12 by the action of spring 17 until clutch member 1 is seated. i The operation is as follows: In'Fig.1 the clutch is shown as'in disengaged position.

. The lever 14 has been operated to slide the sleeve 13 to; the left and in so doin has compressed the spiral spring 16 within the cup 12 untiLthe edgesof the cup 12 come into contact with the end of thesliding sleeve 13.- The motion of the lever 14 being continued', the sleeve 13- pressing against the cup 12 forces the joint member 12 and the --hub extension 7 to which joint member 12 is secured and the clutchimember 1 to the left,

. thus disengaging the clutch members and compressing spring 17 at the sametime. The universal joint 12 is connected to the transmission shaft X by a spline and slot. engagement as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, or by some other .suitable 'co'nnection permitting longitudinal movement of oneof the clutch members; The transmission gear case is indica'ted at XX. In these figures the sleeve X pinned to the transmissionshaftX by the pin X has a groove X" and the joint member 12, a key-'12" in the. groove X". The preluminary motion of sliding sleeve 13';t )efore the 'i'ull'comprcssion ofspring 16' and before the sleeve engaged the edge of cup 12" ac- .tu-ited the bell crank lever 15 'to withdraw 'clutEh members will be held in disengaged I .position with-the bolts 11 withdrawn or re t'racted.v When it is desired to reenga'ge the the relative movement, if any, 0

So long as pres were is maintained upon the l ver 14, the

clutch members the lever l l is released, the

spring 17 will then force the universal oint member 12, hub extension 6 and clutch member 1 toward the other clutch member 2 until such an engagement is effected as sl OpS further movement of clutch member 1 lon itudinally upon the shaft extension 4. Tie

spring 16 not being restrained from further 13 in this movement will operate the bell j crank lever and force the bolts 11 outwardly until their ends engage the inner surface of clutch member 2 (see Fig. 3). If the bolt receiving slots 2 upon the inner conical surface ofclutch member 2 do not register with the outwardly s ring pressed bolts, no engagement will ta e p ace and no engagement of the bolts with the slots '2 will take place but .incase of any slippage of'clutch member 2 upon the inner clutch member 1, when ,so long as the clutch members do not slip;

one half a revolution orless of the outer TV clutch member upon the inner clutch member is effected, according to the relative positions of the bolts and the slots 2, the bolts will be spring pressed into the slots and will lock the outer member against any further movement upon the inner member of the clutch.

.It will be observed that the spring pressed bolts 11 cannot be pressed outward gage the slot 2 in-the clutch 2 until the two to enclutch members 1 and 2 have been seated It will also be observed that before,,,powercan be applied to move'clutch member 1*out ofaengagement -with clutch .member 2, the

sleeve 13 must be moved longitudinally upon the hub extension 6, compressing spring 16 until the sliding member 13 engages the cup l2.to"force clutch member 1 out of eng; et ment with clutch member 2, and in t is movement of sliding member 13 the bell crank lever 15 must be operated and thus ac tuate the bolts ll into retracted osition so that the bolts 11 must be retracte before the clutch-members 1 and 2 can be disenga ed.

011 the otherhand,when the clutch me era .-1- and 2 are being 'engagedfit will be obvious that when ressure is relaxed. upon the lever 14 the vast y more powerful spring 17 reacting from the abutment 5 'will keep the joint member 12 and its cu'p12 pressed forward against the s'lidin member, 13 until the engagement of the .c utcb member 1' with clutch. =member 2 takes the'pressure ofspring 17,

whereupons ring 16 will be at libertyto expand. and orthefsleeve 13 along to-o. p

making sure that the clutch members 1 and 2 shall be fully engaged before the bolts 11 can he put in position to lock the two members of the clutch together.

.erate the bell crank levers aud'bolts ll, tints if it. is desired the positive locking n'leclianism may be prevented from operating in the drawn'igs unless especially desired. two ways of accomplishing this end are shown. In Fig. 5 is shown a stepped slot for the clutch lever, with an adjusting screw. This slot and adjusting screw are so arranged that the clutch lever ll will engage the screw 14 only after clutch member l has engaged with clutch member 2.

' tively strong spring pressing the slidable i friction member into engagement with the other friction member and means to shift the sliding sleeve against its spring and then The stop j 14- is adjustable to this end and prevents further movement of lever 14, thus holding spring 1G compressed and sleeve 13 in its outward position with bolts 11 retracted. When it. is desired to allow the locking bolts to engage the clutch lever ll is thrown to the right so -that it may move backwards in'the slot extension :1: (see Fig. 5) thus perinitting the actuation of sleeve 13 and its connected parts by spring 16. Another method of preventing the operation of the lot-king bolts. except as desired, isby adjustment of the ring 7 along the hub extension I; to limit the movement of sliding sleeve 13.

The clutch pedal shown in Fig. 4 is jointed at H so'that it may be forccdto one side to cuter slot extension is (Fig. 5) and carries lugs 14 with aspiral spring PPinterposed to return it into normal position and also lugs 14; to prevent it from bending in the other direction. v

I claimas my invention: i. In a clutch, two main friction mem hers, the driving member and the driven member, one member connected to one shaft driving friction. members; a movable conaud the other connected to another shaft; a sliding sleeve upon the hub of one of the friction members; thathub; a connector member mounted upon'the friction member other friction member, and means to shift arrying" the sleeve; connections between the shift the slidable friction member against its spring and to hold the sliding sleeve against its spring while permitting the clutch spring to throw the slidable clutch member.

3. In a clutch, male and female friction members, the female member secured to one shaft and having a shaft extension 4 upon which the male member is mounted; a hub extension on the male member; a sliding sleeve upon the hub extension; a connector member-mounted upon the male friction member; an aperture in the mnerface of the female member to eoiiperate with the connector men'iLer'; connections between the sliding sleeve and the connector member; a relatively strong spring abutting upon the shaft-extension and pressing the male clutch member with its hub extension against the female clutch member; a relatively weak spring abutting upon the hub extension and pressing the sliding sleeve forward to throw the connector member; means to shift the slidingsleeve against its spring and the male member against its spring, and to hold the sliding sleeve against its spring while per-' tnitting the clutch spring to throw the slidable clutch member.

4. In a clutch, a male driven and female necting member mounted upon the male friction member; a hub extension upon the male member; a spring pressing the male clutch member into engagement with female clutch member; a sleeve slidably mounted upon the hub extension; lever connectionsbc'tween the sleeve and the connecting member, all organized substantially as described, to permit the connecting member to be 2 shifted out of engagement with the female lhe sliding sleeve against its spring and tbcn hifl the friction member against its spring and to hold the sleeve against its spring while permitting the clutch spring to throw the clut h member.

2. In a clutch, two main friction memhers, the driving memberand the driven member, one men'iber slidably connected to one shaft and the other connected to another shaft; a sliding sleeve upon the hub of the member before the clutch members are disengaged and to'permit the clutch members to engage before the connecting member is shifted to engage the female member.

Signed by me at lloston, Massachusetts this fifth day of October 1906.

OLIVER R. MITCHELL,

W itncsses: i

Josue 'l. BRENNAN, Cuaunns D. Woonnnnnv. 

